A biotic survey and inventory of the dynastine scarab beetles of Mesoamerica, North America, and the West Indies: a long-term, multi-country project

Our long-term, multi-country inventory explores the diversity of the subfamily Dynastinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a megadiverse region seriously imperiled by deforestation, invasive species, and urbanization. The project’s objectives are (1) study and document the diversity, spatial and temporal distributions, and ecological preferences of dynastines north of South America, and clarify the nomenclature of the genera and species; (2) disseminate knowledge to the scientific community, students, and public through monographs and an electronic database; (3) train students, parataxonomists, and collection curators on taxonomy, biology, and identification of dynastines, and collection management; (4) develop synoptic collections of dynastines; and (5) provide educational opportunities for students and other groups not represented in science in the study area. Broad impacts encompass discovery, solidifying alliances for exploring biodiversity, enhancing investigative infrastructure by developing and disseminating databases, training students and technicians, increasing the ability to monitor habitats by using taxonomic knowledge, and establishing authoritatively identified collections